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Tips for Writing and Researching A Policy BriefSlides from SOWK 638 Spring 2020 Library Instruction
Use the resources below to find research, legislation, and policy reports from research centers, think tanks, advocacy groups.
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PolicyMap This link opens in a new windowPolicyMap is a data and mapping tool used by government agencies, universities, healthcare institutions and nonprofits to solve place-based problems.
Finding Federal and State Legislation and Policies
Finding policies and policy information often involves strategic searching. This section includes some effective tips for finding federal and state policies:
- For FEDERAL policies in the U.S., use the website congress.gov. You can find bills by subject and policy area.
- The Congressional Record Index includes remarks and activities by Members, individuals, organizations, and legislative business mentioned in the Congressional Record.
- The United States Senate website allows you to search for legislation and records
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Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new windowThis database indexes and abstracts a broad spectrum of Congressional publications, including hearings (testimony), committee prints, reports, documents, and full text of bills and public laws, and the U.S. Statutes at Large from 1789 to the present.
- For STATE policies, you can do a Google search or go directly to a state's legislature website.
- In Google, include the topic and state you are looking and limit your search to .gov websites. For example: homelessness mental health California site: .gov
- The California State Senate website includes legislation being considered – legislative calendars, details on policy committees, helpful resources, live-streamed and archived videos, information on each of the Senators who represent the state’s 40 districts.
Finding Statistics and Data
Data is the raw information that is analyzed to create statistics, or interpreted data. Data can be numerical, or qualitative (interviews, opinion data, etc).
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SAGE Data This link opens in a new windowAn interactive database that allows users to create tables, maps, and figures from a variety data sources covering a wide range of subjects. Data holdings for the United States are significant with some data available at state, county, or local geographies. International data,available at the country level, include population, food and agriculture, labor, trade, and more. Data are organized by subject and source. Formerly known as Data-Planet.
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ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowAn annual summary publication of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
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ProQuest Statistical Insight This link opens in a new windowInclude a detailed description of a publication's statistical contents and primary bibliographic information like title, date, collation, agency report number (if any), and periodicity.
Whenever possible, the Superintendent of Documents classification number, the Library of Congress card number, the Government Printing Office (GPO) Monthly Catalog entry number, the GPO stock number, and the depository item number are also included. The abstract may also contain two hypertext links - one to the agency's World Wide Web site where the full text of the publication may be viewed and downloaded; the other to the full text on Statistical Universe, where the publication can be viewed, downloaded and accessed section by section or table by table. -
Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista is one of the first statistic portals in the world to integrate data on over 80.000 topics from over 18.000 sources onto a single professional platform and providing companies, business customers, research institutions, and the academic community with direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.
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Roper CenterThe Roper Center maintains an archive of public opinion survey data--including the General Social Survey (1972-2008). Allows users to search survey questions or download data directly. Users will need to enter their USC email address to access data.
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National Council on DisabililityNCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect people with disabilities.
Journal and Newspaper Articles
Articles provide research and analysis of a particular topic. Journal articles are more in-depth and specialized. Newspaper articles can provide the latest information about a topic. Use the recommended resources below to find articles on your topic.
Journal Articles/Dissertations/Book Reviews |
Newspaper Articles |
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Contains current research focused on social work, social welfare, social policy and community development. |
Contains articles from local and regional news in the U.S. across publications. |
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Covers social work and social services, including juvenile justice, the war on drugs, and foster care. |
National, international and local news from 1985-present |
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Covers a broad range of subjects and issues. Includes book chapters, peer-reviewed articles and dissertations. |
Coverage of national and international news, plus coverage of important speeches and documents, Supreme Court decisions, and presidential press conference transcripts |
Related Research Guides
Policy Briefs and Reports
Use these resources (databases and websites) to find background information, analysis and current developments of the policy you are researching, and for examples of policy briefs.
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CIAO Columbia International Affairs Online This link opens in a new windowComprehensive source for research in international affairs.
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CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new windowCQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Reports are published weekly 44 times a year. Each single-themed, 12,000-word report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist, each providing researchers with an introductory overview; background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources. The CQ Researcher Plus Archive adds more than 3,000 reports, published between 1923 and 1990 to CQ Researcher Online.
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Congressional ReportsReports from the Congressional Research Service, a "think tank" that provides these reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events.
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Health Affairs Policy BriefsHealth Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research. The peer-reviewed journal was founded in 1981 under the aegis of Project HOPE, a nonprofit international health education organization. Health Affairs explores health policy issues of current concern in domestic and international spheres. Its mission is to serve as a high-level, nonpartisan forum to promote analysis and discussion on improving health and health care, and to address such issues as cost, quality, and access.
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PAIS Index This link opens in a new windowFocuses on public policy, international relations, economic and social conditions. Includes articles, books, conference papers, government reports, and research reports, 1915-present.
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ProCon.org This link opens in a new windowThe website's mission is to promote critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format. Topics such as Sex and Gender, Religion, and Media and Entertainment have at least one pro/con issue. The "for" and "against" text is in two columns, preceded by a "Did you know" and followed by a background essay. Footnotes are embedded in the text with many live links.
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Policy File Index This link opens in a new windowInformation from over 350 public policy think tanks, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, university centers, advocacy groups, and other entities.
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Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new windowThis database indexes and abstracts a broad spectrum of Congressional publications, including hearings (testimony), committee prints, reports, documents, and full text of bills and public laws, and the U.S. Statutes at Large from 1789 to the present.
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Policy ArchivePolicyArchive is digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. Search for summaries and full text materials of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research.
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Social Science Research Network (SSRN)SSRN is an interdisciplinary open-access repository for pre-prints and refereed articles in the social sciences and humanities.
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Social Work Policy InstituteThe Social Work Policy Institute (SWPI) is a think tank established within the NASW Foundation. It examines issues that relate to the work of social workers, including how to serve people who have multiple or complex needs and how public agencies and other structures deliver health and human services. Since SWPI's founding in 2009 the NASW Foundation has raised and invested more than a million dollars in its research, publications and events.
Think Tanks, Research Centers, and Policy Organizations
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Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) mission is to produce evidence to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable, and to work within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and with other partners to make sure that the evidence is understood and used. AHRQ priorities are described.
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Brookings InstitutionA nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC.
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Cato InstituteA public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.
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Center for American ProgressThe Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action.
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National Center for Children in PovertyNCCP conducts research and translates the findings into actionable recommendations that advocates and policymakers use to improve the lives and futures of low-income children and their families.
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National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA)A directory which provides a systematic introduction to the world's most prominent and innovative public policy research institutes, better known as think tanks.
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Pew Research CenterPew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.
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Public Policy Institute of CaliforniaThis is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. Publishes a variety of policy reports and research studies.
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Rand CorporationThe RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.